‘Naked rambler’ who roamed Ochils admonished for indecency

Amy Watson

A wealthy property developer whose luxury homes firm is based in the shadow of a hill range he roamed nude has admitted recklessly committing public indecency.

Stirling Sheriff Court heard how Paul Edney, 56, is known to clients as group managing director of Dollar-based Hillfoot Homes, which develops and markets properties around the Ochil Hills.

Graham McLachlan, prosecuting, said that in June 2015, a holidaymaker from Warrington, Cheshire, was “sitting sunbathing” on Dumyat Hill above the Wallace Monument when she saw Edney hiking towards her stark naked.

He said: “She became aware of a male, who subsequently turned out to be the accused, who approached and said hello to her.

“She noticed this male was completely naked apart from a blue baseball cap, a pair of dark boots and a blue rucksack. He then sat six feet away from her.

“He appeared to be relaxed and was looking at the view, then he got up and walked off.”

The woman took a photograph of Edney with her mobile phone, and forwarded it to police.

Then, on 9 May last year, another woman saw Edney approaching her on a hill path.

Mr McLachlan said: “She thought this male was naked, but he was some distance away.

“She drew closer to the male, and she asked him if he was naked.

“He said that he was. He apologised to her if he had caused any offence.”

The woman phoned police as soon as she got down from the hill, and officers scoured the area without success.

Three months later, after another incident, Edney was found in a popular hillwalker’s carpark with his trousers down.

Edney, of Hillfoot Farm, Dollar, Clackmannanshire, pleaded guilty to three charges of recklessly committing public indecency, causing alarm and annoyance.

Ken Dalling, defending, said Edney and his wife had both been naturists for more than 30 years.

He said: “He was a regular hill walker, taking the path less travelled, usually clothed, but he accepts that on these occasions he put himself in the position of criminality by walking naked.

“He was not intending to cause alarm.”

Sheriff David Mackie ruled there was “no significant sexual element”, and Edney was admonished and not placed on the sex offenders’ register.

He said: “You arrived at court with no criminal record whatsoever, and I am sorry that you now have a record.